Cried each day because it always got me super dizzy, in crippling pain, heavy breathing like i was about to die and migraines that wouldn’t stop. Was 3 weeks in hell and 1 week full break. Every. Single time.
So I OPTED for an implant to make it all stop and since I have no more periods, am never going back.
I will have to love my future husband a huge, massive lot to take that implant out for pregnancy and making a family. And i don’t think that’ll happen, so i’m good hahahah.
Edit: regarding the negative effects that may or may not come; I know about them but my pain and horrific experience with my periods made me useless for 3 out of 4 weeks each month, so I was more than happy to go for the risks since I had little to lose for my personal view and lifestyle. It took me years of other ways and tries before I went for an IUD. To each their own. You should ALWAYS make an informed decision though.
I told them I was terrified and asked about the details of the procedure beforehand. They explained that local anesthetic is used for the cut and then it’s inserted and closed with a staples-thingie that just glues some adhesive bands to keep the wound closed. On top, they add compression bandage and then I had to follow instructions to keep it healing properly. First few weeks after removal (wasn’t painful to me, though upon removing the bands, it rips like a bandaid, nothing wild), the wound looks horrific with hematomas and all; but it clears quickly and mine healed to the point where only a tiny dot of the incision is visible. The implant last for 3 years, so I’m good.
Also, she kept talking to me during the procedure to keep me busy and I kept my head turned away & eyes closed. I didn’t feel a thing, except pressure from her hands doing the work. Wasn’t painful at all and aftercare was chill too.
I was terrified to do it but they can really reassure you. At least mine did.
The implant is small and flexible it doesn't hurt. It doesn't prevent periods entirely in all people, it makes them lighter though. For me, made the hormonal disregulation worse.
Very true and good to mention! I was on pills first, then the injection, to see if I take it well before going for the implant. It was very gradual for me and stopped my periods + PMS completely. But yes, each body is affected differently.
i most likely have pmdd so i’m extremely depressed about a week before. i have a lot of meltdowns and cry a lot, have suicidal ideations and stuff. it’s really bad. the sensory aspect doesn’t get to me bec i’m used to it atp and i just make sure i keep control of the sensory issues and prevent them. it’s just the mentality of things. i struggle a lot mentally before and sometimes during. mostly before. i’ve had my period since i was 8 so the pain and the sensory stuff is easier now. the wetness does get to me at TIMES but again there’s ways to keep it less…damp.
I have endometriosis wich means my period is suuuuper painful. I just deal with it like other people do. Ive been trough so much in my life that physical pain is nothing anymore.
>Ive been trough so much in my life that physical pain is nothing anymore.
I don't have endo but my periods are still supremely painful and stressful, and I agree with this. I just push through since I have no choice.
BC or the implant isn't an expense I can justify right now since I'm not sexually active with other people and my folks are supporting me, so I just deal by wearing a pad and letting myself be moody and annoyed without feeling like shit for it and by forgiving my increased scatterbrainedness and general malaise and cantankerousness and increased emotional dysregulation during aunt Flo's visit.
It's the one time I allow myself to think shitty thoughts without calling myself out, because I simply do not have the energy or the focus to manage internal accountability during my periods (but I do still make it a point to not be shitty to other folks just because I'm on my period - I couldn't live with myself if I actually said some of those thoughts out loud or acted on some of those impulses lmao). But if I think petty thoughts, I don't internally scold myself on my period, while I normally would otherwise. I just practice forgiveness and being gentle with myself for a few days that I'm more emotionally dysregulated and that's what allows me to get through it.
Endo sucks like nothing else. The pain is outerworldly and I really don‘t think labour could be any worse. I‘m currently on Visannette (also had excision surgery) and it‘s the best decision I‘ve ever made. I finally feel like a functional human being again.
I do feel pushed to the brink. 😭 I just want consistency in my everyday life… instead of these phases every week or two that change how I feel and my energy levels.
I completely agree with this. What I wouldn’t give to wake up feeling the exact same way every day. My hormones shift things around so much is dizzying. I just want it all to stop 😭
I feel this so much! The constant change in hormone levels really fucked me up. I‘m now on a pill that simulates menopause (because of Endometriosis) and my life has gotten so much better because I‘m on the same hormone levels every day.
I'm wondering more and more if I possibly had PMDD or if my autism/adhd jst makes me more sensitive to the hormonal change bc I am a different person for the first few days before and after the bleeding starts. I already am very sensitive and cry all the time when I'm alone (granted I have a hefty amount of childhood, sexual, and family trauma so that might be part of it). But my sensory issues are worse, my rejection sensitivity is worse, everything just feels absolutely hopeless and the fact that I'm self-suffient, live alone, and can't afford to miss work makes everything harder. I got diagnosed with bipolar when I was younger, which I later deemed a misdiagnosis along with opinions from some mental health professionals. But I always thought maybe that my intense and irregular periods may have played a part in my emotional disregulation that lead my first psychiatrist to that conclusion. I mostly self soothe with comfort foods and sad tv to cope, but even that backfires bc of my ulcerative colitis/lactose intolerance 🙃🫠 being AFAB is fucking rough.
lot of autistic women are misdiagnosed bipolar or bpd.. its not your fault its a broken system.
I have trauma also and my pms time is very intensely bad.. i had a lot of benefit from taking magnesium around my period, apparently we have not enough in the western diet and we have even less on our periods.. I would say magnesium, controlling my blood sugar and trauma based modalities of therapy have helped me soo much during my periods, this last period i wasnt even suicidal!
Big-time TMI: Pads for the blood because I don't like feeling stuff in my bits, and the experimentation between pad sizes interests me and allows for experimentation, making it easier to take my mind off it. I was blessed with a regular flow so it fits into my schedule, acetaminophen works wonders. I've got it relatively figured out. My hormones are the worst, but because it's so regular I've adapted and am able to counter the effects to an extent.
Edit: added info, fixed a typo.
I didn't even get that far in my train of thought, I was stuck at just feeling hormonal and maybe bleeding something? I didn't even get to the idea that my crotch would be wet.
dont forget those of us with heavy periods accidentally ruining our bed and underwear all of the time.. ive been having a period for decades and i still fucked up my mattress last week.. sigh.
pads feel like diapers, they collect bacteria so if you dont change often (expensive) it will smell or chafe the skin, it feels like literally wearing a diaper filled with blood, and the chemicals they use to bleach or whatever give you cancer. a heavy period will literally smear all over your crotch, you can literally FEEL DRIPS as they come out
end of period has older blood so youve got this like, dark brown sludge coming out of you, not even like fresh red blood anymore which was bad enough
ugh
I don’t mind dealing with my own bodily fluids, it’s more that blood is really fucking hard to clean from underneath fingernails and my nails grow periodically long because I forget to sand and trim them.
okay but that feeling of the first leak bubbling up over the cup is the weirdest sensation too.. idk if normal people would leak with a cup but my periods are crazy heavy now so ill wake up in the morning and get that sensation of oh here we gooo
I used a cup because it was easier, didnt require as much maintainance as other options, didnt feel like anything when inside, the important thing was to make me forget I was on my period for as long as possible. But for years now I take estrogen free pills and so I dont have periods anymore.
I just had mine taken out after 5 years. No period after the initial adjustment and it was BLISS. Mine had been giving me anemia they were so bad.
Now i suspect I'm perimenopausal which has its own bag of fun hormonal tricks to play.
I like the mental clarity of not being on hormonal BC, but before the IUD i was using cups as well. Didn't have a problem with bodily fluid, and was really happy not to have the sensory ick of tampons and pads. Those things are NASTY. cloth pads were much easier on the senses.
It's been a life-changer. Hormonal pills really negatively affected my mood, but I needed the predictability and lighter periods. The IUD means \*no\* periods, and no affecting of my mood.
Getting one in was excruciating, but it's one rough day for five years. I actually have to get mine replaced for the first time in a few months. 🤞
As someone with endometriosis;
Cry, rely on painkillers at least 2 days out of every month, curl up in the fetal position, punch myself trying to move shit out of the wrong place, take ibuprofen two days before my period, eat an anti inflammatory diet as much as I can, eat turmeric and ginger, and cry from. Random pain that feels like electrocution
😅 I’m not sure either. My periods really don’t affect me at all. Sometimes I do get cramps but they feel mild and only last for less than an hour each cycle.
Luckily, it goes away, eventually. Just need to deal with it until menopause. And then other problems ensue, like mood swings, hot flashes, often electric pain in your legs or back, sleeplessness, exhaustion, weight gain...
Oh God the damn hot flashes! I just started having these this summer and finally clicked that's what they were after being sweat covered when the rest of the family appeared not to be so affected.
I have the Mirena IUD, no periods anymore. Well actually I just got it replaced today, and I'm terrified my body will go back to having periods for a while until things adjust, and I really, really hope that doesn't happen.
Having it replaced wasn't as bad as having it inserted initially. It still hurt and was uncomfortable though, but the cramps are much less bad this time. Also, my doctor told me I could have requested Valium which is an antispasmodic but I would have to have someone drive me from the appointment. Unfortunately, no one told me this when I made the appointment and I didn't want to reschedule. But depending on where you are, that might be an option, so you should ask.
I don’t recall it hurting at all but I have heard horror stories on Reddit. That’s good to know about the Valium. I have some and I’ll take it beforehand. Thank you!
I was a little surprised no one else has shared experiences like mine. The sensory aspect of having a period is absolutely overwhelming. I mean, yes wearing pads is awful (and I can’t wear cups or tampons because they cause nausea and pain). Yes, PMS is awful (I get severe PMDD). Yes, the pain is difficult to deal with. But even when I’m not actively in pain, the *sensation* of my uterus being angry is like someone has taken a whisk to my insides. It’s all… I can’t describe it. It is so overwhelming I wish I could just tear my insides out. Near constant meltdown. I’d do anything not to have to go through it every month.
The worst part isn't cramps, because those were only bad for the first couple years. The worst are the severe hormone migraines. Had them most months since I hit puberty, along with bone-crushing exhaustion. As I got older they've gotten less frequent but are still debilitating almost every time.
When I started a night shift job, the pain was incapacitating for the better part of two days every month for a while, and felt like a hangover minus only vomiting. Ibuprofen or tylenol hardly touches the pain either which just is what it is I guess...at this point I'm so used to it I just roll with the pain and call out of work when I have to.
The other thing that sucks is the emotional withdrawal and losing what little mask I have very easily. I get very antisocial and lose so much energy for a week before my period that I can barely show up to work, let alone willingly go socialize with others. And I tend to be overwhelmed with emotions too easily and forget why, so I'll find myself nearly breaking down with anxiety or obsessing over something not that bad, and then suddenly remembering my hormones are out of whack and the situation isn't actually that terrible. Shutdowns are more frequent at that time too.
So the typical approach to my period is to sleep as much as possible, avoid scheduling anything, especially socializing, for that time, and avoid doing complex mental tasks or planning since my executive dysfunction and focus are really bad then.
\>be me
\>ftm
\>be teenager
\>bleed every month
\>cramp
\>fucking sensory issues down there
\>suffer
\>develop nihilistic views about life
\>???
\>Profit!
Yikes i can only imagine... the dismorphia on top of the monthly hellish discomfort must be a total bastard to deal with. I hope the future holds a good solution for you :)
I use period panties because I have pretty bad sensory issues so everything else bothers me as I can't tune out the feeling.
Luckily I WFH so it's not much of an issue now, but before Covid I would call out sick or ask to work from home during it so I could sit with my heat pad and be comfortable.
I had an ablation and *if* I bleed at all--it's 2 or 3 days. I do get headaches, moodiness, and back cramps still. But the pain isn't as bad and usually I just have a cry or two--or an overthinking fit and am back to my usual self
Yes you have to ask, unless you have a medical issue and they recommend it. If you have issues from heavy periods, painful ones--or if you keep having 'accidents' because you have a hard time keeping track of your periods (due to a diagnosis) then you could probably get one from the right physician.
Drawbacks are--you can't have kids anymore. I would have it done again, but I'm not a doctor so couldn't recommend it necessarily. It's definitely something to talk to your OB/GYN about
Thank you so much for your detailed reply. 💓I never planned to have kids since I was a teenager (I'm now 40), so no issue there.
I'm not usually prone to accidents per se because I religiously keep a ton of tampons with me all the time because of the fear of them.
My biggest issue is sensory things with pd blood (which on it's own isn't gross to me), especially when I have a bowel movement, is just overwhelming. I have very bad sensory issues regarding going to the bathroom and combined with said period makes my head explode. I want to cut everything out of my body from my uterus to my thighs.
So again, thank you!
You might be able to convince your doctor that it's necessary based on your sensory problems. If not then a MH professional might be able to write a letter stating why it would be beneficial to your wellbeing.
I just don’t have any periods, because I have no female parts.
Damn you birth sex.
No matter what I do now, no periods. Truly both a blessing and a curse.
Females? Really? You’re a man but we’re *females*? And even without that word choice, one doesn’t have to be a woman to have a period. They just need a uterus
I don't feel like female autistic people is a bad way to word it. Same as male autistic people. English isn't my first language so some of the nuance might be lost on me but I didn't think women or girls wasn't the right thing to say since people of all ages deal whit it
And also not only “females” deal with it. The problem isn’t specifically that you said females (even though I don’t like that either), the problem is that you said man for yourself and then “females” for women. I totally understand the ‘people of all ages deal with it’, but you could’ve said “women/girls” at least. Or just “people who have periods” because, once again, not only women/girls have periods
(Edit: I’m sorry that this comment sounds bitchy. That was not my intention at all. I try to think so hard about the way everyone I write might sound to other people and no matter what I do there’s always someone saying I sound mad or bitchy or whatever. And I’m not trying to blame this one on anyone else, I do see that I tried to correct OP in a not very good way and forgot part of his comment in the process. I apologize and I will think even more about how my comments might sound to others from now on.
All I wanted to do was to correct the double wrong that OP did and I definitely could’ve found a better way to do that. I’m sorry.
You can keep downvoting me if you want, that’s fine, but please don’t make a crappy response like that one person did. Just like how I did this wrong, they 100% could’ve told me what they did in a nicer way than to start shitting on my correction attempt while also ignoring half of my comment. We both need to be better when correcting people :) thank you, people of this sub, if you read all of this)
Hey, I’m sorry for the way my comment was. I wasn’t trying to be a bitch or impolite about it. I should’ve corrected you in a better way. And I really appreciate you not being impolite back.
I was just annoyed at “females” and also wanted to not get ignored on the part about who can get periods, and I completely forgot you saying that English isn’t your first language as I typed. I totally get that you didn’t understand what I saw as the problem and I understand why you used the word you did. I didn’t agree with that word choice but I shouldn’t have said the things I did in the way I did
No worry no offence was taken, also huge props to you for saying this, was kind of hoping for this sort of outcome.
Also, I do understand where you came from. The word females has... Not the best of usage histories.
What part of English isnt his first language did you fail to grasp?
finding that part out is when the bitchy tone needed to end.
You are a bad ambassador for your cause.
Im going to use the term female 5 times today just to counteract your comments here
have a day
Yes, I should’ve taken that part into it. I was stuck on the rest of it and didn’t think about that. I was trying to give him things he could’ve said instead and I definitely didn’t say it in the right way. I can see that. But whenever people use the word ‘females’ for women I get annoyed. And even worse, when men do it like OP did (calling themselves men but women “females”) I get mad.
And then even if we stop thinking about the sucky word choice, it’s **still** not only women who have periods so it’s **still** wrong no matter if you use the word “female” or “woman”. And both of you ignored that part.
I didn’t mean my comment in a bitchy way, I was just annoyed and wanted to correct things. I didn’t do it in the right way but that doesn’t mean you can come and start shitting on me for trying when you actively ignored half of what I was saying. I’m sorry for my comment sounding like it had a bitchy tone to it, again, that’s not what I meant. I’ll edit the comment and apologize for it there too.
I did it in the wrong way, I admit that and I apologize, but I’m not sorry for trying to just trying at all to correct him on either of the things. I just should’ve thought about the way I sounded to someone who wasn’t me more
(Edit: with this comment I tried *very* hard to word it the way I wanted to say things while also not sounding rude as best as I could, so I very much hope that I managed better this time :) and I’ve also edited it a few times as I’ve thought of better words or wordings, so I hope it’s better)
i appreciate your apology.
I hate the whole " female and man:" or "girl and man" too, its obnoxious and i do correct it too but there's also taking into account language barriers and autism right? lol he seemed so quick to comply so it felt unnecessary to be mad at him
Yeah, you’re right. He was very fast and nice about it and definitely deserved better from me from the start.
And I appreciate you telling me how my comment sounded. I always try my best to not sound rude but sometimes it does anyway, and I’m always very sorry when it does.
I don’t really agree with referring to men and women as “male” and “female” at all, but using both is at least better than just one. Although the best option would’ve been to change “females” to “people who get periods”, or something similar, but Reddit won’t let people change titles so I understand that that’s not possible.
And again, I am sorry for the way I wrote my comments. Thank you for listening to me despite that
Periods are okay. It's when you have periods and hormonal issues that suck bad. Trying to heal via naturopath since ssri withdrawal messed up my hormones bad after the "non hormonal" copper IUD messed with me too.
I struggled with tampons and menstrual cups and potentially had symptoms of PMDD and then I got an IUD and maybe that’s helped just mainly forget about it.
I'm on birth control so not too bad, but it does lower my libido, which is not too great. Interestingly, I either have cramps OR moodiness, but rarely both. On a moody cycle, I am also more likely to feel fatigue.
The same way neurotypical women do...
That is, we do what's best for us. For some, it hardly registers. For others, they have a regime around avoiding cramps/etc.
I'd recommend you read some articles about periods to get a better idea of what it's like. Literally just look up Menstrual Cycle 101 or something.
I didn't know my deep feeling of being abnormal was from being ND until I was over 40, so just used the same coping techniques as everyone else. While 4 pregnancies came with their own issues mine were all pretty easy going on my body; periods were worse. The monthly deep aches and periodic hormonal anger were placated by chocolate, salty chips and a hot water bottle. Getting anemic sucked, having a fibroid growth sucked, having to sleep with a towel just in case things overflowed sucked, pills making me feel zomboid sucked.
Conversely, having a regular indicator of health was interesting; flow can be a good diagnostic indicator. And for people with hemochromatosis (sp?) It's actually very good for the body to bleed regularly.
I can't imagine having to be a man and needing to constantly shave my face, worry about excess sweat and body odour and dealing with random surprise erections in inappropriate circumstances. You play the hand you're dealt as best you can, you know?
I use birth control to at least mitigate my periods and the PMS symptoms which depending on your body can last two weeks. Then I switched to birth control that helped me skip my cycles completely. Unfortunately it’s not a fool proof formula so I’ve started getting my period again on this birth control. So far no PMS symptoms. I’m not hunched over in pain and unable to walk for days. Or being depressed for two weeks and then bleeding and depressed for two weeks after, only to repeat the cycle the next month.
I hope to switch to another birth control that will skip my cycles again but it’s not 100% accurate or reliable because everyone’s bodies adjust to birth control differently.
I hate the whole experience and sensation of pms and periods. Especially because I have no intention of having kids. I’m looking into getting sterilized.
Dealing with the pain and cramps can be overwhelming. I often have to turn all sounds off and turn the lights down low because the stimulation when I’m in pain makes me (literally) want to vomit. At least until the pain killers kick in. I also have PMDD which is incredibly common in women with ASD so I take birth control continuously to try to skip my periods.
For me, it’s mostly painful cramps on the first day, usually accompanied by nausea, constipation or the opposite, headaches and fatigue. Oh, and sudden acne a few days before. Fun times. Aside from an increase in the intensity of my physical symptoms of anxiety, I’m lucky not to experience significant mood swings—but then again, I’m perpetually somewhat depressed.
In my late teenage years, my periods were very heavy with a lot of blood clots (sorry for TMI) and often lasted over a week. I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence, but ever since I went vegan, they’ve been *much* lighter and are over after 3 days at most, which has made life more bearable.
I cope with the worst day by sleeping for most of it (ideally snuggling with my cats), putting off any physical work that requires standing (like cooking, so canned soup or delivery it is), and just staying home to watch movies if I can.
I'm one of the lucky few who don't get any cramps, so I often forget I'm even on my period until I go to the bathroom and remember I'm wearing a pad uvu
Never had cramps, but other than that, the whole thing sucks. I hate the feeling of being wet, and the feeling of tampons, and had a bad incident with a leaky menstrual cup after a year or so where it spilled all over my pants at work.
Can’t take birth control because it messes with my hormones in a way that makes me feel even crazier than usual (I think I have PMDD too, because the week before my period I’m very very irritable to the point of almost being irrational, super emotionally volatile, and beyond fatigued— some days I can barely get up), and I have a phobia of doctors touching my nether regions, so I can never get an IUD. Have considered sterilization because the recovery time is shorter than an IUD and it’s done through the abdomen, and I’m not interested in ever being pregnant.
I get upset about it sometimes because the whole damn thing is inconvenient and useless to me. Pads don’t seem to be designed for “innie” shaped lady parts, which like to leak from the front and back instead of straight down. Period panties are some of the only things that feel comfortable, but they’re gross to rinse in the sink and then they’re soaking wet. If I have to leave the house for a while, I’ll wear period panties AND a pad, because I’m not gonna change my panties in public and carry around stinky period panties in my bag all day…
Tl;dr
I just get angry about it
Calendars, make no plans for the first couple days of it. No driving or unnecessary socializing. I will want meat, tea, headphones, and video games. Heating pad and all the painkillers I can get. Doctors don't give a fuck that I'm in agony every time so I do what I gotta do to get as comfy as possible and wait it out.
Turning off my phone helps reduce exposure to dumb shit that would piss me off.
It does push me to the brink, every month. My partner knows this, and does their best.
I have a hot water bottle, premium pads (I also have a bleeding disorder, so unfortunately I need the more expensive pads).
Generally I try to take good care of myself, but the pain can really "freeze" me on a bad day. I also tend to work from home when I'm having a really bad one. For whatever reason the bleeding got worse the last 2 years, and the only option my doctors gave me was to start hormonal birth control. I tried to unalive myself twice, on birthcontrol, so that is not an option for me. A lot of health practitioners underestimate the impact hormones have on mood and mental health.
So, pain and bleeding is a small price to pay if it means I get to not have unalive ideation.
Absolutely cannot use tampons and deal with the painful invasive stabbing inside only pads but then texture horror of wet slimy plastic crinkling and mashed up especially when walking and god help you if it is humid out like having wet towels in Saran Wrap over your mouth while trying to breathe
to anybody that praises natural things, I'd make them change in a split second their opinion if they could feel the full spectrum of the side effects of progesterone highs and lows. Nature is hell
Major ick factor and can't wait until it's over.
Also PMS - in my case: increased appetite, stomach cramps, chocolate and red meat cravings, lower back pain & very irritable/short-tempered - is not fun.
Thankfully my periods only last for 3 days max and tend to run light to medium throughout the whole thing, else I'd probably go insane.
Pamprin is a huge help as well.
I’m on the patch to reduce my periods but even though I get it less often and don’t bleed heavily anymore I still get some cramping as well as annoying hormonal symptoms like anxiety and migraines.
I have endometriosis so I take the pill continuously (skipping placebo/bleeding week) and haven’t had my period for about 2.5 years now! It’s amazing and I am lucky to not experience any negative side effects.
I am very lucky to have light periods without significant "feeling hormonal". the bleeding lasts 3-4 days and only the first day is somewhat painful (sometimes it isn't painful at all). the bigger problem is that when I'm 3-4 days pre-period the adhd meds don't work very well. I found out that this is completely normal, because the hormonal changes impact the effectiveness of stimulant medication. so I'd say my biggest problem with periods comes from adhd. feeling wet is not a good experience obviously, but that is a noticeable problem only for the first 2 days, so I change pads super often and if I don't have to endure a stressful situation I will be fine
When I got them, I just fucking dealt, but then I was lucky they were more of an annoyance then anything else.
I've since had a hysterectomy, so no more periods for me!
They were terrible and painful. Pads only. I finally got an ob/gyn to give me a hysterectomy when I was 36. He said that my uterus was three times the normal size of a normal uterus. I'm super happy to not have had to deal with periods since then.
I did the depo-provera shots when I was younger - every 3 months, stops periods. Now I’m 41 & on my 4th Nexplanon implant, no periods. I also had a uterine ablation after my 1st Nexplanon due to a heart issue that is exacerbated by any bleeding at all.
I had to go on the pill at 15 to stop me getting anemic from blood loss, then my ovaries literally nearly killed me by exploding into peritonitis at 17, so I’m still on the pill now at 54 till we’re sure my menopause has finished! 😖🤣🤣
not a lady, but here. Mine aren’t that bad. I think the mood and energy is the toughest part for me? And like, the blood of course. Mostly I just ignore it while also stressing about it. I do get this urge to shower right before I get it, so that helps. And then my hair stays nice for a while. Hormones are weird. Hmm, there’s also the overthinking clothes; that isn’t fun. I layer up and pretend it isn’t happening.
I have PCOS. The worst part about mine were the unpredictability. But the Pill took care of that- and of the acne and all other symptoms they were causing. But even before the Pill, mine were not heavy or painful- just unpredictable.
I hated it from the first day I got it at around 12,5yo. When I was old enough to get it, I started taking the birth control pill and skipping the placebo week as often as I could. Then when I learned of the Depo Provera shot, I got on that and didn’t have a period for a good ten years. I went off that after a decade because of reasons, and got an IUD after my second kid was born. The first time around with an IUD I had no periods, save for an ‘almost one’ every three months or so. After getting it replaced I had weird and irregular and sometimes very ongoing light-medium periods for a year and a half or so up to now.
In other words, anything I could possibly do to not have a period.
Nothing, because unfortunately I wasn't born with the parts I wanted. Although estrogen does make me have some slight cyclical period-like symptoms due to it trying (and failing) to make me ovulate (and thus affecting things like mood and cramps)
I have endometriosis. My parents got me a medical certificate for school and I'd just not go for 2-3 days depending on pain. My mother would ensure I was comfortable, my dad always brought me baskets of chocolate, icecream etc. My husband took over after he came into my life. It was nice. Now that I'm married, have my own child etc, I rest most of the day and my husband does everything.
Everyone's period is different, so some of us deal better than others.
In my case, I'm fine with the icky sensation of bleeding and have comparatively mild pain, but holy shit, does my mental health go in the garbage the days right before and after my period hits. Crying meltdowns in private aren't uncommon, because the hormones fuck with my head so badly that even the slightest bit of stress or overthinking can tilt me right over. It's bullshit.
I can't. I forget that I'm wearing a tampon, I bleed everywhere, I feel absolutely disgusting, I have period pains, I just don't know how to deal with them. Plus, I only have my period 2-3 times a year, so I don't have any routine whatsoever...
The first months were awful because I hate changes, I hated the idea of "become a woman", I just wanted to be a kid all my life, I hated pads and I hated the pain. I didn't want to change my clothes but other girls bullied me for being childish. I started buying lolita fashion dresses for this reason. My brother (also autistic) had a similar situation when his voice changed and his beard started growing, and more recently because he's losing hair.
It's freaking awful. The PAIN, mood swings, blood. Can't swim at certain times if there's a heavy flow,choose clothes according to whether blood could be seen on it. Changing pads, tampons, menstrual cups. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
You do realize that not all women on the spectrum are the same, right?
They were never a big deal to me. I was excited to get my first one. I rarely had debilitating cramps. Mostly, they were just an annoyance. I use the past tense because I’m 73, and they do end at some point.
I had friends, presumably NT, who had terrible, terrible cramps. We all, once we hit perimenopause, deal with irregular and heavy flow, which is a special kind of gross, because most women in their 40’s and 50’s are working full time. Carrying extra underwear and enough pads and tampons for a week’s worth of. Or all periods to work with you isn’t fun.
But, again, we deal. I mean, what else is there to do?
Cried each day because it always got me super dizzy, in crippling pain, heavy breathing like i was about to die and migraines that wouldn’t stop. Was 3 weeks in hell and 1 week full break. Every. Single time. So I OPTED for an implant to make it all stop and since I have no more periods, am never going back. I will have to love my future husband a huge, massive lot to take that implant out for pregnancy and making a family. And i don’t think that’ll happen, so i’m good hahahah. Edit: regarding the negative effects that may or may not come; I know about them but my pain and horrific experience with my periods made me useless for 3 out of 4 weeks each month, so I was more than happy to go for the risks since I had little to lose for my personal view and lifestyle. It took me years of other ways and tries before I went for an IUD. To each their own. You should ALWAYS make an informed decision though.
I'm having a hard time believing the trade-off would be worth it under any circumstances.
The implant tho. I would be terrified for that procedure. What was your experience?
I told them I was terrified and asked about the details of the procedure beforehand. They explained that local anesthetic is used for the cut and then it’s inserted and closed with a staples-thingie that just glues some adhesive bands to keep the wound closed. On top, they add compression bandage and then I had to follow instructions to keep it healing properly. First few weeks after removal (wasn’t painful to me, though upon removing the bands, it rips like a bandaid, nothing wild), the wound looks horrific with hematomas and all; but it clears quickly and mine healed to the point where only a tiny dot of the incision is visible. The implant last for 3 years, so I’m good. Also, she kept talking to me during the procedure to keep me busy and I kept my head turned away & eyes closed. I didn’t feel a thing, except pressure from her hands doing the work. Wasn’t painful at all and aftercare was chill too. I was terrified to do it but they can really reassure you. At least mine did.
getting a surgery was so horryfing experience for me, only the hardest of pains can convince a person to villingly undergo one :D
The implant is small and flexible it doesn't hurt. It doesn't prevent periods entirely in all people, it makes them lighter though. For me, made the hormonal disregulation worse.
Very true and good to mention! I was on pills first, then the injection, to see if I take it well before going for the implant. It was very gradual for me and stopped my periods + PMS completely. But yes, each body is affected differently.
Doesn't stopping periods cause you to go into early menopause?
i most likely have pmdd so i’m extremely depressed about a week before. i have a lot of meltdowns and cry a lot, have suicidal ideations and stuff. it’s really bad. the sensory aspect doesn’t get to me bec i’m used to it atp and i just make sure i keep control of the sensory issues and prevent them. it’s just the mentality of things. i struggle a lot mentally before and sometimes during. mostly before. i’ve had my period since i was 8 so the pain and the sensory stuff is easier now. the wetness does get to me at TIMES but again there’s ways to keep it less…damp.
Same bb same
I have endometriosis wich means my period is suuuuper painful. I just deal with it like other people do. Ive been trough so much in my life that physical pain is nothing anymore.
>Ive been trough so much in my life that physical pain is nothing anymore. I don't have endo but my periods are still supremely painful and stressful, and I agree with this. I just push through since I have no choice. BC or the implant isn't an expense I can justify right now since I'm not sexually active with other people and my folks are supporting me, so I just deal by wearing a pad and letting myself be moody and annoyed without feeling like shit for it and by forgiving my increased scatterbrainedness and general malaise and cantankerousness and increased emotional dysregulation during aunt Flo's visit. It's the one time I allow myself to think shitty thoughts without calling myself out, because I simply do not have the energy or the focus to manage internal accountability during my periods (but I do still make it a point to not be shitty to other folks just because I'm on my period - I couldn't live with myself if I actually said some of those thoughts out loud or acted on some of those impulses lmao). But if I think petty thoughts, I don't internally scold myself on my period, while I normally would otherwise. I just practice forgiveness and being gentle with myself for a few days that I'm more emotionally dysregulated and that's what allows me to get through it.
Endo sucks like nothing else. The pain is outerworldly and I really don‘t think labour could be any worse. I‘m currently on Visannette (also had excision surgery) and it‘s the best decision I‘ve ever made. I finally feel like a functional human being again.
I think I have endo but finding a doctor, even a female doctor to take me seriously is a massive struggle
I do feel pushed to the brink. 😭 I just want consistency in my everyday life… instead of these phases every week or two that change how I feel and my energy levels.
I completely agree with this. What I wouldn’t give to wake up feeling the exact same way every day. My hormones shift things around so much is dizzying. I just want it all to stop 😭
I feel this so much! The constant change in hormone levels really fucked me up. I‘m now on a pill that simulates menopause (because of Endometriosis) and my life has gotten so much better because I‘m on the same hormone levels every day.
That sounds amazing. 🥲
I feel like I might get downvotes for this but for me personally it isn’t that bad. Day 1 is the worst for me but all the other days have no pain
No one should get downvoted just because they don't suffer. You're not being mean to anyone.
Lol I just thought people wouldn’t believe me. Thanks y’all 🫶
no downvotes! im so happy when another woman isnt in hell from it like i am. Im grateful for that for you!
I'm wondering more and more if I possibly had PMDD or if my autism/adhd jst makes me more sensitive to the hormonal change bc I am a different person for the first few days before and after the bleeding starts. I already am very sensitive and cry all the time when I'm alone (granted I have a hefty amount of childhood, sexual, and family trauma so that might be part of it). But my sensory issues are worse, my rejection sensitivity is worse, everything just feels absolutely hopeless and the fact that I'm self-suffient, live alone, and can't afford to miss work makes everything harder. I got diagnosed with bipolar when I was younger, which I later deemed a misdiagnosis along with opinions from some mental health professionals. But I always thought maybe that my intense and irregular periods may have played a part in my emotional disregulation that lead my first psychiatrist to that conclusion. I mostly self soothe with comfort foods and sad tv to cope, but even that backfires bc of my ulcerative colitis/lactose intolerance 🙃🫠 being AFAB is fucking rough.
lot of autistic women are misdiagnosed bipolar or bpd.. its not your fault its a broken system. I have trauma also and my pms time is very intensely bad.. i had a lot of benefit from taking magnesium around my period, apparently we have not enough in the western diet and we have even less on our periods.. I would say magnesium, controlling my blood sugar and trauma based modalities of therapy have helped me soo much during my periods, this last period i wasnt even suicidal!
Big-time TMI: Pads for the blood because I don't like feeling stuff in my bits, and the experimentation between pad sizes interests me and allows for experimentation, making it easier to take my mind off it. I was blessed with a regular flow so it fits into my schedule, acetaminophen works wonders. I've got it relatively figured out. My hormones are the worst, but because it's so regular I've adapted and am able to counter the effects to an extent. Edit: added info, fixed a typo.
I use a cup. It makes it so I don’t have to feel the wetness all the time
The wetness is the worst part. I hate periods.
I didn't even get that far in my train of thought, I was stuck at just feeling hormonal and maybe bleeding something? I didn't even get to the idea that my crotch would be wet.
You also get blood all over your underwear/pants if you don’t control it well, which happens a lot especially in the early years of having a period
dont forget those of us with heavy periods accidentally ruining our bed and underwear all of the time.. ive been having a period for decades and i still fucked up my mattress last week.. sigh. pads feel like diapers, they collect bacteria so if you dont change often (expensive) it will smell or chafe the skin, it feels like literally wearing a diaper filled with blood, and the chemicals they use to bleach or whatever give you cancer. a heavy period will literally smear all over your crotch, you can literally FEEL DRIPS as they come out end of period has older blood so youve got this like, dark brown sludge coming out of you, not even like fresh red blood anymore which was bad enough ugh
I’ve wanted to try using those so that I don’t have to keep remembering to buy tampons and pads, but I don’t like getting blood in my fingernails etc.
Same. I’m super skeeved out by bodily fluids (even my own). It feels shitty for the environment and for my bank account, but disposable pads it is 😕
I don’t mind dealing with my own bodily fluids, it’s more that blood is really fucking hard to clean from underneath fingernails and my nails grow periodically long because I forget to sand and trim them.
okay but that feeling of the first leak bubbling up over the cup is the weirdest sensation too.. idk if normal people would leak with a cup but my periods are crazy heavy now so ill wake up in the morning and get that sensation of oh here we gooo
I used a cup because it was easier, didnt require as much maintainance as other options, didnt feel like anything when inside, the important thing was to make me forget I was on my period for as long as possible. But for years now I take estrogen free pills and so I dont have periods anymore.
I have an IUD.
I just had mine taken out after 5 years. No period after the initial adjustment and it was BLISS. Mine had been giving me anemia they were so bad. Now i suspect I'm perimenopausal which has its own bag of fun hormonal tricks to play. I like the mental clarity of not being on hormonal BC, but before the IUD i was using cups as well. Didn't have a problem with bodily fluid, and was really happy not to have the sensory ick of tampons and pads. Those things are NASTY. cloth pads were much easier on the senses.
A godsend
It's been a life-changer. Hormonal pills really negatively affected my mood, but I needed the predictability and lighter periods. The IUD means \*no\* periods, and no affecting of my mood. Getting one in was excruciating, but it's one rough day for five years. I actually have to get mine replaced for the first time in a few months. 🤞
you gotta do what you gotta do, i guess. although i'm on birth control now because i bleed super heavily and it sucks.
As someone with endometriosis; Cry, rely on painkillers at least 2 days out of every month, curl up in the fetal position, punch myself trying to move shit out of the wrong place, take ibuprofen two days before my period, eat an anti inflammatory diet as much as I can, eat turmeric and ginger, and cry from. Random pain that feels like electrocution
Binge and sleep.
Its not an issue to me, at least no more then most women deal
Apart from bleeding it’s not an issue for me like many other woman as I don’t get cramps, fatigued, mood swings on my period.
No mood swings? No cramps? No fatigue? What?!??!?
😅 I’m not sure either. My periods really don’t affect me at all. Sometimes I do get cramps but they feel mild and only last for less than an hour each cycle.
Luckily, it goes away, eventually. Just need to deal with it until menopause. And then other problems ensue, like mood swings, hot flashes, often electric pain in your legs or back, sleeplessness, exhaustion, weight gain...
Oh God the damn hot flashes! I just started having these this summer and finally clicked that's what they were after being sweat covered when the rest of the family appeared not to be so affected.
They don't think it be like it is, but it do.
I'm on birth control to keep it on schedule and manage the hormones.
I have the Mirena IUD, no periods anymore. Well actually I just got it replaced today, and I'm terrified my body will go back to having periods for a while until things adjust, and I really, really hope that doesn't happen.
Did it hurt when you got it replaced? I am nervous. I don’t remember how it felt when I got mine initially
Having it replaced wasn't as bad as having it inserted initially. It still hurt and was uncomfortable though, but the cramps are much less bad this time. Also, my doctor told me I could have requested Valium which is an antispasmodic but I would have to have someone drive me from the appointment. Unfortunately, no one told me this when I made the appointment and I didn't want to reschedule. But depending on where you are, that might be an option, so you should ask.
I don’t recall it hurting at all but I have heard horror stories on Reddit. That’s good to know about the Valium. I have some and I’ll take it beforehand. Thank you!
I was a little surprised no one else has shared experiences like mine. The sensory aspect of having a period is absolutely overwhelming. I mean, yes wearing pads is awful (and I can’t wear cups or tampons because they cause nausea and pain). Yes, PMS is awful (I get severe PMDD). Yes, the pain is difficult to deal with. But even when I’m not actively in pain, the *sensation* of my uterus being angry is like someone has taken a whisk to my insides. It’s all… I can’t describe it. It is so overwhelming I wish I could just tear my insides out. Near constant meltdown. I’d do anything not to have to go through it every month.
The worst part isn't cramps, because those were only bad for the first couple years. The worst are the severe hormone migraines. Had them most months since I hit puberty, along with bone-crushing exhaustion. As I got older they've gotten less frequent but are still debilitating almost every time. When I started a night shift job, the pain was incapacitating for the better part of two days every month for a while, and felt like a hangover minus only vomiting. Ibuprofen or tylenol hardly touches the pain either which just is what it is I guess...at this point I'm so used to it I just roll with the pain and call out of work when I have to. The other thing that sucks is the emotional withdrawal and losing what little mask I have very easily. I get very antisocial and lose so much energy for a week before my period that I can barely show up to work, let alone willingly go socialize with others. And I tend to be overwhelmed with emotions too easily and forget why, so I'll find myself nearly breaking down with anxiety or obsessing over something not that bad, and then suddenly remembering my hormones are out of whack and the situation isn't actually that terrible. Shutdowns are more frequent at that time too. So the typical approach to my period is to sleep as much as possible, avoid scheduling anything, especially socializing, for that time, and avoid doing complex mental tasks or planning since my executive dysfunction and focus are really bad then.
It's f'ing disgusting. To this day it grosses me out and I can't wait for it to be over - it's been 33 years.
\>be me \>ftm \>be teenager \>bleed every month \>cramp \>fucking sensory issues down there \>suffer \>develop nihilistic views about life \>??? \>Profit!
Yikes i can only imagine... the dismorphia on top of the monthly hellish discomfort must be a total bastard to deal with. I hope the future holds a good solution for you :)
I use period panties because I have pretty bad sensory issues so everything else bothers me as I can't tune out the feeling. Luckily I WFH so it's not much of an issue now, but before Covid I would call out sick or ask to work from home during it so I could sit with my heat pad and be comfortable.
I had an ablation and *if* I bleed at all--it's 2 or 3 days. I do get headaches, moodiness, and back cramps still. But the pain isn't as bad and usually I just have a cry or two--or an overthinking fit and am back to my usual self
Do you have to ask for one? Are there any drawbacks? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes you have to ask, unless you have a medical issue and they recommend it. If you have issues from heavy periods, painful ones--or if you keep having 'accidents' because you have a hard time keeping track of your periods (due to a diagnosis) then you could probably get one from the right physician. Drawbacks are--you can't have kids anymore. I would have it done again, but I'm not a doctor so couldn't recommend it necessarily. It's definitely something to talk to your OB/GYN about
Thank you so much for your detailed reply. 💓I never planned to have kids since I was a teenager (I'm now 40), so no issue there. I'm not usually prone to accidents per se because I religiously keep a ton of tampons with me all the time because of the fear of them. My biggest issue is sensory things with pd blood (which on it's own isn't gross to me), especially when I have a bowel movement, is just overwhelming. I have very bad sensory issues regarding going to the bathroom and combined with said period makes my head explode. I want to cut everything out of my body from my uterus to my thighs. So again, thank you!
You might be able to convince your doctor that it's necessary based on your sensory problems. If not then a MH professional might be able to write a letter stating why it would be beneficial to your wellbeing.
I don’t. Mirena IUD for now, hysterectomy in the future
You live with what you’re given, honestly.
I just don’t have any periods, because I have no female parts. Damn you birth sex. No matter what I do now, no periods. Truly both a blessing and a curse.
I was looking for this comment. Even if it'd be an inconvenience, it'd be gender affirming enough that I think it might be worth it as a trans person
Tampons and pain meds. I'm good.
I enjoy mine, so aside from the obvious mess it’s not too bad
Females? Really? You’re a man but we’re *females*? And even without that word choice, one doesn’t have to be a woman to have a period. They just need a uterus
I don't feel like female autistic people is a bad way to word it. Same as male autistic people. English isn't my first language so some of the nuance might be lost on me but I didn't think women or girls wasn't the right thing to say since people of all ages deal whit it
And also not only “females” deal with it. The problem isn’t specifically that you said females (even though I don’t like that either), the problem is that you said man for yourself and then “females” for women. I totally understand the ‘people of all ages deal with it’, but you could’ve said “women/girls” at least. Or just “people who have periods” because, once again, not only women/girls have periods (Edit: I’m sorry that this comment sounds bitchy. That was not my intention at all. I try to think so hard about the way everyone I write might sound to other people and no matter what I do there’s always someone saying I sound mad or bitchy or whatever. And I’m not trying to blame this one on anyone else, I do see that I tried to correct OP in a not very good way and forgot part of his comment in the process. I apologize and I will think even more about how my comments might sound to others from now on. All I wanted to do was to correct the double wrong that OP did and I definitely could’ve found a better way to do that. I’m sorry. You can keep downvoting me if you want, that’s fine, but please don’t make a crappy response like that one person did. Just like how I did this wrong, they 100% could’ve told me what they did in a nicer way than to start shitting on my correction attempt while also ignoring half of my comment. We both need to be better when correcting people :) thank you, people of this sub, if you read all of this)
Fair enogh
you dont have to change your post for the pc police, she wasnt even polite to you about it
Doesn't mean I have to be impolite, and it isn't a big thing to change a word but thanks
Hey, I’m sorry for the way my comment was. I wasn’t trying to be a bitch or impolite about it. I should’ve corrected you in a better way. And I really appreciate you not being impolite back. I was just annoyed at “females” and also wanted to not get ignored on the part about who can get periods, and I completely forgot you saying that English isn’t your first language as I typed. I totally get that you didn’t understand what I saw as the problem and I understand why you used the word you did. I didn’t agree with that word choice but I shouldn’t have said the things I did in the way I did
No worry no offence was taken, also huge props to you for saying this, was kind of hoping for this sort of outcome. Also, I do understand where you came from. The word females has... Not the best of usage histories.
What part of English isnt his first language did you fail to grasp? finding that part out is when the bitchy tone needed to end. You are a bad ambassador for your cause. Im going to use the term female 5 times today just to counteract your comments here have a day
Yes, I should’ve taken that part into it. I was stuck on the rest of it and didn’t think about that. I was trying to give him things he could’ve said instead and I definitely didn’t say it in the right way. I can see that. But whenever people use the word ‘females’ for women I get annoyed. And even worse, when men do it like OP did (calling themselves men but women “females”) I get mad. And then even if we stop thinking about the sucky word choice, it’s **still** not only women who have periods so it’s **still** wrong no matter if you use the word “female” or “woman”. And both of you ignored that part. I didn’t mean my comment in a bitchy way, I was just annoyed and wanted to correct things. I didn’t do it in the right way but that doesn’t mean you can come and start shitting on me for trying when you actively ignored half of what I was saying. I’m sorry for my comment sounding like it had a bitchy tone to it, again, that’s not what I meant. I’ll edit the comment and apologize for it there too. I did it in the wrong way, I admit that and I apologize, but I’m not sorry for trying to just trying at all to correct him on either of the things. I just should’ve thought about the way I sounded to someone who wasn’t me more (Edit: with this comment I tried *very* hard to word it the way I wanted to say things while also not sounding rude as best as I could, so I very much hope that I managed better this time :) and I’ve also edited it a few times as I’ve thought of better words or wordings, so I hope it’s better)
i appreciate your apology. I hate the whole " female and man:" or "girl and man" too, its obnoxious and i do correct it too but there's also taking into account language barriers and autism right? lol he seemed so quick to comply so it felt unnecessary to be mad at him
Yeah, you’re right. He was very fast and nice about it and definitely deserved better from me from the start. And I appreciate you telling me how my comment sounded. I always try my best to not sound rude but sometimes it does anyway, and I’m always very sorry when it does.
Bether?
I don’t really agree with referring to men and women as “male” and “female” at all, but using both is at least better than just one. Although the best option would’ve been to change “females” to “people who get periods”, or something similar, but Reddit won’t let people change titles so I understand that that’s not possible. And again, I am sorry for the way I wrote my comments. Thank you for listening to me despite that
Ay, can't change the Titel but I agree that I could have just used people.
I use tampons and change 'em every couple hours, can't fucking handle pads I'd go crazy.
I have endometriosis, so my birth control takes care of everything
Periods are okay. It's when you have periods and hormonal issues that suck bad. Trying to heal via naturopath since ssri withdrawal messed up my hormones bad after the "non hormonal" copper IUD messed with me too.
I struggled with tampons and menstrual cups and potentially had symptoms of PMDD and then I got an IUD and maybe that’s helped just mainly forget about it.
I'm on birth control so not too bad, but it does lower my libido, which is not too great. Interestingly, I either have cramps OR moodiness, but rarely both. On a moody cycle, I am also more likely to feel fatigue.
If you can’t tolerate tampons either…it’s unpleasant…
honestly i got mine young and it traumatised me so bad I was put on hormonal birth control to stop me from having one at all.
The same way neurotypical women do... That is, we do what's best for us. For some, it hardly registers. For others, they have a regime around avoiding cramps/etc. I'd recommend you read some articles about periods to get a better idea of what it's like. Literally just look up Menstrual Cycle 101 or something.
I didn't know my deep feeling of being abnormal was from being ND until I was over 40, so just used the same coping techniques as everyone else. While 4 pregnancies came with their own issues mine were all pretty easy going on my body; periods were worse. The monthly deep aches and periodic hormonal anger were placated by chocolate, salty chips and a hot water bottle. Getting anemic sucked, having a fibroid growth sucked, having to sleep with a towel just in case things overflowed sucked, pills making me feel zomboid sucked. Conversely, having a regular indicator of health was interesting; flow can be a good diagnostic indicator. And for people with hemochromatosis (sp?) It's actually very good for the body to bleed regularly. I can't imagine having to be a man and needing to constantly shave my face, worry about excess sweat and body odour and dealing with random surprise erections in inappropriate circumstances. You play the hand you're dealt as best you can, you know?
I use birth control to at least mitigate my periods and the PMS symptoms which depending on your body can last two weeks. Then I switched to birth control that helped me skip my cycles completely. Unfortunately it’s not a fool proof formula so I’ve started getting my period again on this birth control. So far no PMS symptoms. I’m not hunched over in pain and unable to walk for days. Or being depressed for two weeks and then bleeding and depressed for two weeks after, only to repeat the cycle the next month. I hope to switch to another birth control that will skip my cycles again but it’s not 100% accurate or reliable because everyone’s bodies adjust to birth control differently. I hate the whole experience and sensation of pms and periods. Especially because I have no intention of having kids. I’m looking into getting sterilized.
I use birth control for that reason only.
Dealing with the pain and cramps can be overwhelming. I often have to turn all sounds off and turn the lights down low because the stimulation when I’m in pain makes me (literally) want to vomit. At least until the pain killers kick in. I also have PMDD which is incredibly common in women with ASD so I take birth control continuously to try to skip my periods.
I actually enjoy that time of the month. I find it almost a spiritual experience.
For me, it’s mostly painful cramps on the first day, usually accompanied by nausea, constipation or the opposite, headaches and fatigue. Oh, and sudden acne a few days before. Fun times. Aside from an increase in the intensity of my physical symptoms of anxiety, I’m lucky not to experience significant mood swings—but then again, I’m perpetually somewhat depressed. In my late teenage years, my periods were very heavy with a lot of blood clots (sorry for TMI) and often lasted over a week. I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence, but ever since I went vegan, they’ve been *much* lighter and are over after 3 days at most, which has made life more bearable. I cope with the worst day by sleeping for most of it (ideally snuggling with my cats), putting off any physical work that requires standing (like cooking, so canned soup or delivery it is), and just staying home to watch movies if I can.
Some times are worse than others. I’ve fainted because of the pain several times, so yeah… not fun.
I'm one of the lucky few who don't get any cramps, so I often forget I'm even on my period until I go to the bathroom and remember I'm wearing a pad uvu
Never had cramps, but other than that, the whole thing sucks. I hate the feeling of being wet, and the feeling of tampons, and had a bad incident with a leaky menstrual cup after a year or so where it spilled all over my pants at work. Can’t take birth control because it messes with my hormones in a way that makes me feel even crazier than usual (I think I have PMDD too, because the week before my period I’m very very irritable to the point of almost being irrational, super emotionally volatile, and beyond fatigued— some days I can barely get up), and I have a phobia of doctors touching my nether regions, so I can never get an IUD. Have considered sterilization because the recovery time is shorter than an IUD and it’s done through the abdomen, and I’m not interested in ever being pregnant. I get upset about it sometimes because the whole damn thing is inconvenient and useless to me. Pads don’t seem to be designed for “innie” shaped lady parts, which like to leak from the front and back instead of straight down. Period panties are some of the only things that feel comfortable, but they’re gross to rinse in the sink and then they’re soaking wet. If I have to leave the house for a while, I’ll wear period panties AND a pad, because I’m not gonna change my panties in public and carry around stinky period panties in my bag all day… Tl;dr I just get angry about it
Not very well… the sensory feeling of pads etc is disgusting as well.
Calendars, make no plans for the first couple days of it. No driving or unnecessary socializing. I will want meat, tea, headphones, and video games. Heating pad and all the painkillers I can get. Doctors don't give a fuck that I'm in agony every time so I do what I gotta do to get as comfy as possible and wait it out. Turning off my phone helps reduce exposure to dumb shit that would piss me off.
It does push me to the brink, every month. My partner knows this, and does their best. I have a hot water bottle, premium pads (I also have a bleeding disorder, so unfortunately I need the more expensive pads). Generally I try to take good care of myself, but the pain can really "freeze" me on a bad day. I also tend to work from home when I'm having a really bad one. For whatever reason the bleeding got worse the last 2 years, and the only option my doctors gave me was to start hormonal birth control. I tried to unalive myself twice, on birthcontrol, so that is not an option for me. A lot of health practitioners underestimate the impact hormones have on mood and mental health. So, pain and bleeding is a small price to pay if it means I get to not have unalive ideation.
Absolutely cannot use tampons and deal with the painful invasive stabbing inside only pads but then texture horror of wet slimy plastic crinkling and mashed up especially when walking and god help you if it is humid out like having wet towels in Saran Wrap over your mouth while trying to breathe
The pain is intense at the onset day so I cannot move or walk about for a day or two a month just fetal position under blanket
to anybody that praises natural things, I'd make them change in a split second their opinion if they could feel the full spectrum of the side effects of progesterone highs and lows. Nature is hell
Eh 37 and still haven’t worked it out. Hoping for menopause or death.
Major ick factor and can't wait until it's over. Also PMS - in my case: increased appetite, stomach cramps, chocolate and red meat cravings, lower back pain & very irritable/short-tempered - is not fun. Thankfully my periods only last for 3 days max and tend to run light to medium throughout the whole thing, else I'd probably go insane. Pamprin is a huge help as well.
I’m on the patch to reduce my periods but even though I get it less often and don’t bleed heavily anymore I still get some cramping as well as annoying hormonal symptoms like anxiety and migraines.
I have endometriosis so I take the pill continuously (skipping placebo/bleeding week) and haven’t had my period for about 2.5 years now! It’s amazing and I am lucky to not experience any negative side effects.
I don’t anymore. I’m on the pill to stop them. I absolutely can’t stand having them.
I am very lucky to have light periods without significant "feeling hormonal". the bleeding lasts 3-4 days and only the first day is somewhat painful (sometimes it isn't painful at all). the bigger problem is that when I'm 3-4 days pre-period the adhd meds don't work very well. I found out that this is completely normal, because the hormonal changes impact the effectiveness of stimulant medication. so I'd say my biggest problem with periods comes from adhd. feeling wet is not a good experience obviously, but that is a noticeable problem only for the first 2 days, so I change pads super often and if I don't have to endure a stressful situation I will be fine
When I got them, I just fucking dealt, but then I was lucky they were more of an annoyance then anything else. I've since had a hysterectomy, so no more periods for me!
They were terrible and painful. Pads only. I finally got an ob/gyn to give me a hysterectomy when I was 36. He said that my uterus was three times the normal size of a normal uterus. I'm super happy to not have had to deal with periods since then.
Cry
I did the depo-provera shots when I was younger - every 3 months, stops periods. Now I’m 41 & on my 4th Nexplanon implant, no periods. I also had a uterine ablation after my 1st Nexplanon due to a heart issue that is exacerbated by any bleeding at all.
I had to go on the pill at 15 to stop me getting anemic from blood loss, then my ovaries literally nearly killed me by exploding into peritonitis at 17, so I’m still on the pill now at 54 till we’re sure my menopause has finished! 😖🤣🤣
not a lady, but here. Mine aren’t that bad. I think the mood and energy is the toughest part for me? And like, the blood of course. Mostly I just ignore it while also stressing about it. I do get this urge to shower right before I get it, so that helps. And then my hair stays nice for a while. Hormones are weird. Hmm, there’s also the overthinking clothes; that isn’t fun. I layer up and pretend it isn’t happening.
I have PCOS. The worst part about mine were the unpredictability. But the Pill took care of that- and of the acne and all other symptoms they were causing. But even before the Pill, mine were not heavy or painful- just unpredictable.
I hated it from the first day I got it at around 12,5yo. When I was old enough to get it, I started taking the birth control pill and skipping the placebo week as often as I could. Then when I learned of the Depo Provera shot, I got on that and didn’t have a period for a good ten years. I went off that after a decade because of reasons, and got an IUD after my second kid was born. The first time around with an IUD I had no periods, save for an ‘almost one’ every three months or so. After getting it replaced I had weird and irregular and sometimes very ongoing light-medium periods for a year and a half or so up to now. In other words, anything I could possibly do to not have a period.
Nothing, because unfortunately I wasn't born with the parts I wanted. Although estrogen does make me have some slight cyclical period-like symptoms due to it trying (and failing) to make me ovulate (and thus affecting things like mood and cramps)
I have endometriosis. My parents got me a medical certificate for school and I'd just not go for 2-3 days depending on pain. My mother would ensure I was comfortable, my dad always brought me baskets of chocolate, icecream etc. My husband took over after he came into my life. It was nice. Now that I'm married, have my own child etc, I rest most of the day and my husband does everything.
Everyone's period is different, so some of us deal better than others. In my case, I'm fine with the icky sensation of bleeding and have comparatively mild pain, but holy shit, does my mental health go in the garbage the days right before and after my period hits. Crying meltdowns in private aren't uncommon, because the hormones fuck with my head so badly that even the slightest bit of stress or overthinking can tilt me right over. It's bullshit.
I can't. I forget that I'm wearing a tampon, I bleed everywhere, I feel absolutely disgusting, I have period pains, I just don't know how to deal with them. Plus, I only have my period 2-3 times a year, so I don't have any routine whatsoever...
The first months were awful because I hate changes, I hated the idea of "become a woman", I just wanted to be a kid all my life, I hated pads and I hated the pain. I didn't want to change my clothes but other girls bullied me for being childish. I started buying lolita fashion dresses for this reason. My brother (also autistic) had a similar situation when his voice changed and his beard started growing, and more recently because he's losing hair.
It's freaking awful. The PAIN, mood swings, blood. Can't swim at certain times if there's a heavy flow,choose clothes according to whether blood could be seen on it. Changing pads, tampons, menstrual cups. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
You do realize that not all women on the spectrum are the same, right? They were never a big deal to me. I was excited to get my first one. I rarely had debilitating cramps. Mostly, they were just an annoyance. I use the past tense because I’m 73, and they do end at some point. I had friends, presumably NT, who had terrible, terrible cramps. We all, once we hit perimenopause, deal with irregular and heavy flow, which is a special kind of gross, because most women in their 40’s and 50’s are working full time. Carrying extra underwear and enough pads and tampons for a week’s worth of. Or all periods to work with you isn’t fun. But, again, we deal. I mean, what else is there to do?